Late Miocene stable isotope stratigraphy of SE Atlantic ODP Site 1085: Relation to Messinian events

High-resolution benthic oxygen isotope and XRF (Fe and Ca) records from Site 1085 drilled in the Mid-Cape basin (ODP Leg 175) are used to investigate global climate changes during the Late Miocene in relation to Messinian geological events. The cyclic fluctuations of the time series at Site 1085 enable us to establish a reliable chronology for the time interval 7.3–4.7 Ma. Spectral analysis of the δ¹⁸O record indicates that the 41-kyr period of orbital obliquity dominates the Late Miocene record. A global climate record was extracted from the oxygen isotopic composition of benthic foraminifera. Both long- and short-term variabilities in the climate record are discussed in terms of sea-level and deep-water temperature changes. The time interval 7.3–6.25 Ma characterized by low-amplitude δ¹⁸O variations is followed by a period marked by maximum in the δ¹⁸O values (6.25–5.57 Ma). At about 5.56 Ma, a rapid decrease in δ¹⁸O values is documented that may reflect a warming of deep-water temperature associated with a global warming period. Comparison between the timing of the oceanic isotope events and the chronology of the Mediterranean Salinity Crisis suggest that global eustatic processes were not essential in the Mediterranean Salinity Crisis history. From our data, we infer that the global warmth documented in the Early/mid-Pliocene probably started during the Late Miocene (at 5.55 Ma). At the same time, the onset of evaporite deposition in the central basin of the Mediterranean Sea took place. Sharp changes in the sedimentation rates, mainly driven by terrigenous input at this site, are observed during the Messinian Stage.     

Spatial and temporal analysis of a seismic series using a new version of the three point method: application to the 1989 Antequera (Spain) earthquakes

The three point method (TPM) has been successfully applied to several seismic series and has provided information about the spatial characteristics (azimuth and dip) of the fault planes activated in the rupture process. A new development of the TPM to determine temporal characteristics, is presented, to obtain the evolution of the fracturing process of an active fault system. For the analysis of the 158 microearthquakes and earthquakes that took place in the seismic series of Antequera in June 1989, the choice of a threshold magnitude (m_u = 2.5) has permitted the events related to the most relevant fractures to be distinguished. Secondly, only the events between two concentric spheres (here named Spatial Crown) with respect to a given earthquake, have been used in order to avoid taking into account earthquakes that are too close to each other, together with the very distant events that have little relation to the event analysed. The Spatial Crown has permitted some clear results in the Antequera series, where we have found that the fracturing process began fundamentally with N 80° E planes and evolved to N 65° W planes. Finally, an error analysis enables an estimation of the uncertainty in the results to be obtained from the errors in the data.     

Compositional tomography of a gold‐bearing sample by Laser‐induced breakdown spectroscopy

This contribution presents the first results of compositional tomography of a geological sample. The volume render of 6 × 8 × 1 mm³ was constructed by assembling 63 compositional maps acquired in 21 min (19.5 s/layer) by laser‐induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), which determines the chemical composition of the analysed spot from the light emitted by a plasma produced by the laser. This technique is, therefore, able to directly reveal the 3D distribution of chemical elements in a sample. As an example, the spatial distribution and 3D geometry of visible gold in an ultramafic schist are presented. Inasmuch as this newly developed portable LIBS instrument is able to the rapidly characterize the 3D geometry of any geological materials, it has a high potential to be useful for the mining industry and for a wide range of geosciences, such as structural geology, petrology, sedimentology and economic geology.     

Contribution of occult precipitation to the water balance of páramo ecosystems in the Colombian Andes

Páramos are high‐altitudinal neotropical ecosystems located in the upper regions of the northern Andes. Their hydrology is characterized by an extraordinarily high run‐off ratio. One major contributing mechanism is thought to be fog occurrence, which is common in the páramos and occurs by the cooling of near‐surface moist air, as it is forced to higher elevations by topography. However, field‐based observations and quantification of this flux are rare. We present results of monitoring of occult precipitation, understood as the combination of fog and drizzle inputs, combined with meteorological and soil moisture monitoring for periods between 7 to 17 months in 6 sites distributed over 3 páramos catchments in Colombia: three sites in Romerales (Quindío), two in Chingaza (Cundinamarca), and one in Belmira (Antioquia). Occult precipitation inputs were measured with cylindrical fog gauges with a cover on top. We estimate occult precipitation inputs to add between 7% and 28% to rainfall inputs in the study sites. Our results also show that occult precipitation has a large temporal and spatial variability, both within one site and between sites, which make it difficult to upscale and quantify at a catchment scale. Nevertheless, occult precipitation can be important for downstream water supply given that these inputs are especially concentrated during periods with low rainfall. Lastly, we also find evidence for an increase in soil moisture related to occult precipitation during a dry period in Romerales páramo.     

A new seismic hazard assessment in the region of Andalusia (Southern Spain)

A probabilistic seismic hazard assessment of Andalusia (Southern Spain) in terms of peak ground acceleration, PGA, and spectral accelerations, SA(T), is presented in this paper. In contrast to most of the previous studies in the region, which were performed for PGA, making use of Intensity-to-PGA relationships, hazard was here calculated in terms of magnitude, using published spectral ground-motion models. Moreover, we considered different ground-motion models for the Atlantic sources, since the attenuation of those motions seems to be slower, as evidenced in the case of the extensive macroseismic areas of earthquakes like those occurred in the years 1755, 1969 and 2007. A comprehensive review of the seismic catalogue and of the seismogenic models proposed for the region was carried out, including those for Northern Africa, which is part of the influence area. Hazard calculations were performed following the Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Assessment (PSHA) methodology using a logic tree, which accounts for six different seismic source zonings and five different ground-motion attenuation relationships. Hazard maps in terms of PGA and SA (0.2 s) and SA (1 s) and coefficient of variation (COV) maps, for the 475-year return period were first obtained in rock sites. A geotechnical classification and amplification factors were proposed and new hazard maps including local effects were represented, showing PGA values ranging from 24 to 370 cm/s² for the whole Andalusian territory, with the highest expected values (PGA > 300 cm/s²) in some parts of the Granada Province and in the town of Vélez Málaga. Lowest values (PGA < 50 cm/s²) correspond to some towns of the Huelva and Córdoba provinces. The inclusion of soil effects provides a more detailed picture of the actual hazard the region is subjected to.     

Origin of basalts from the Marquesas Archipelago (south central Pacific Ocean): isotope and trace element constraints

Basalts from the Marquesas Archipelago display significant variations according to magmatic type in ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd (0.512710–0.512925) and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr (0.70288–0.70561) suggesting heterogeneities at various scales in the mantle source, with respectively the highest and lowest values in tholeiites compared to alkali basalts. This relationship is the reverse from that observed in the Hawaiian islands. Systematic indications of magma mixing are recognized from the relationships between trace element and isotopic ratios. Tholeiites from Ua Pou Island which have unradiogenic Sr (about 0.7028) plot close to basalts from Tubuai and St. Helena, i.e. distinctly below the main mantle trend in the Nd vs. Sr isotopic diagram. It is suggested that the source of these tholeiites is ancient subducted lithosphere which has suffered previous extraction of liquid with island arc tholeiite composition. The trace element and isotopic data of the basalts from the other Marquesas Islands imply the contamination of an equivalent source by an enriched component. This latter has trace element characteristics of the upper crust.     

Near-surface water fluxes and their controls in a sloping heterogeneously layered volcanic soil beneath a supra-wet tropical montane cloud forest (NW Costa Rica)

Tropical montane cloud forests (TMCF) receive additional (‘occult’) inputs of water from fog and wind-driven rain. Together with the concomitant reduction in evaporative losses, this typically leads to high soil moisture levels (often approaching saturation) that are likely to promote rapid subsurface flow via macropores. Although TMCF make up an estimated 6.6% of all remaining montane tropical forest and occur mostly in steep headwater areas that are protected in the expectation of reduced downstream flooding, TMCF hillslope hydrological functioning has rarely been studied. To better understand the hydrological response of a supra-wet TMCF (net precipitation up to 6535 mm y⁻¹) on heterogeneously layered volcanic ash soils (Andosols), we examined temporal and spatial soil moisture dynamics and their contribution to shallow subsurface runoff and stormflow for a year (1 July 2003–30 June 2004) in a small headwater catchment on the Atlantic (windward) slope near Monteverde, NW Costa Rica. Particular attention was paid to the partitioning of water fluxes into lateral subsurface flow and vertical percolation. The presence of a gravelly layer (C-horizon) at ~25 cm depth of very high hydraulic conductivity (geometric mean: 502 mm h⁻¹) intercalated between two layers of much lower conductivity (7.5 and 15.7 mm h⁻¹ above and below, respectively), controlled both surface infiltration and delayed vertical water movement deeper into the soil profile. Soil water fluxes during rainfall were dominated by rapid lateral flow in the gravelly layer, particularly at high soil moisture levels. In turn, this lateral subsurface flow controlled the magnitude and timing of stormflow from the catchment. Stormflow amount increased rapidly once topsoil moisture content exceeded a threshold value of ~0.58 cm³ cm⁻³. Responses were not affected appreciably by rainfall intensity because soil hydraulic conductivities across the profile largely exceeded prevailing rainfall intensities.     

Localized algal blooms induced by river inflows in a canyon type reservoir

The local response of the phytoplankton community to river inflow processes was investigated with modeling and field analyses in a long and narrow, stratified reservoir in mid-summer. The river water had high concentrations of phosphorus and nitrogen (ammonium and nitrate) and temperature had large variations at diurnal scales. As a consequence of the large variation in river temperature, the level of neutral buoyancy (the depth where the river water spreads laterally in the reservoir) oscillated between the surface (overflows) during the day, and the depth of the metalimnion (interflows) during the night. The reservoir remained strongly stratified, which favoured the presence of cyanobacteria. It is shown that under these conditions, nutrient-rich river water injected during overflows into the surface layers promoted the occurrence of localized algal blooms in the zones where the overflow mixed with the quiescent water of the reservoir. A series of hydrodynamic simulations of the reservoir were conducted both with synthetic and realistic forcing to assess the importance of river temperatures and wind-driven hydrodynamics for algal blooms. The simulations confirmed that the river inflow was the main forcing mechanism generating the localized bloom.